This was a default judgment that was automatically granted to the claimants. Iran never showed up in court or attempted to defend itself because US courts don't have jurisdiction over foreign governments due to the international legal principle of Sovereign Immunity. The US has been trying to make an exception for "terrorist states" under its own laws but note that at the same time the US insists on protecting its own sovereign immunity and so the US can't be sued in Iranian (or any other nations') courts
Saudi Arabia along with Israel are not on the US list of "terrorist nations" which can be "legally" sued in the US for harming Americans. Only Iran, Sudan and Syria are on the list of "Designated Foreign Terror-Supporting Nations" so only their Sovereign 8mmunity is subject to the exception.
7 comments
-2 RMFN 2016-03-10
Iran has always been behind 9/11.
3 VancouverSucks 2016-03-10
Explain?
2 RMFN 2016-03-10
1984.
2 VancouverSucks 2016-03-10
Gotcha. "we have always been enemies with bin Laden".
1 RMFN 2016-03-10
Not only that! But we have always always been suspicious of Islam.
George Washington never sent a saber to the Moroccan king. Never ever.
1 agfa12 2016-03-10
This was a default judgment that was automatically granted to the claimants. Iran never showed up in court or attempted to defend itself because US courts don't have jurisdiction over foreign governments due to the international legal principle of Sovereign Immunity. The US has been trying to make an exception for "terrorist states" under its own laws but note that at the same time the US insists on protecting its own sovereign immunity and so the US can't be sued in Iranian (or any other nations') courts
1 [deleted] 2016-03-10
[deleted]
1 agfa12 2016-03-10
Saudi Arabia along with Israel are not on the US list of "terrorist nations" which can be "legally" sued in the US for harming Americans. Only Iran, Sudan and Syria are on the list of "Designated Foreign Terror-Supporting Nations" so only their Sovereign 8mmunity is subject to the exception.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1605A
2 VancouverSucks 2016-03-10
Gotcha. "we have always been enemies with bin Laden".